Researchers work on arsenic-free food crops in Bihar

Patna: Even as Bihar grapples with the growing menace of arsenic, fluoride and other toxic elements contaminating water, soil and foodgrains on a large scale, a small group of scientists is working through the night to find solutions. Their efforts, though modest in scale, are offering a rare ray of hope to communities living under the shadow of chronic contamination.At the heart of this effort is the environmental biology laboratory of Patna Science College, which has been working steadily to develop arsenic-free food crops in arsenic-contaminated soil and water. The lab has reported considerable success, suggesting that science-driven, nature-based interventions could play a crucial role in addressing one of Bihar’s most persistent public health challenges.Leading the study team, Shardendu, a retired professor of botany at the college, said arsenic in foodgrains could cause a range of serious diseases, including cancer, in human beings, making it imperative to focus on food safety alongside drinking water. He stressed that developing arsenic-free food crops was the most effective long-term remedial measure.Arsenic, he said, is naturally present in groundwater and enters the food chain through irrigation. From there, it accumulates in staple crops such as rice, wheat and potato, as well as mushrooms and leafy vegetables. “The foodgrains contain more arsenic than drinking water,” he said, warning that the consumption of highly contaminated foodgrains often leads to arsenic poisoning, medically known as arsenicosis, which occurs due to the accumulation of large quantities of arsenic in the human body.While several remedial options exist — including removing arsenic from groundwater after extraction, diluting arsenic concentration in aquifers through artificial recharge and using arsenic filters — Shardendu said the most promising alternative lies in working with nature itself. This approach, known as bioremediation, uses living organisms to mitigate arsenic contamination.The strategy takes advantage of the natural ability of certain microorganisms and plants to tolerate and accumulate arsenic present in the environment. The use of plants to clean contaminated soil and water, he said, is an environmentally friendly green technology that is socially acceptable, relatively easy to implement and potentially cost-effective.Researchers at the environmental biology laboratory have already identified arsenic-resistant bacteria living in the rhizosphere, or root zone, of plants. These bacteria not only survive in arsenic-rich environments but also play an important role in promoting plant growth and enhancing arsenic phytoextraction from contaminated soils.“Associated with the rhizosphere, these bacteria help plants draw arsenic out of the soil,” Shardendu said, adding that such bacteria could be used to develop arsenic-free food crops in affected regions.